Apparatus for forming concrete caps on piles.



L. PIERCE.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING CONCRETE CAPS ON PILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1912.

1,072,491 Patented Sept. 9, 1913 pl v a ".g W ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEON PIERCE, on NEW YORK, N. Y., AssrGNoE'ro THE UNDERCPINNING & EoUNDA TION Co., 01 NEwYoEK, N. Y., A CoEPoEArIoN on NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING CONCRETE Cars N PILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 9, 19-13.

Application filed April 15, 1912. Serial No. 691,067.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEON PIERCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of the Bronx, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Forming Concrete Caps on Piles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for forming caps of Cementitious material on piles; and an object of this invention is the provision of asimple, cheap and eflicient apparatus for accomplishing the formation of such caps.

Another object of this invention is to avoid the-expense of making an excavation for the capping and of trenching down to water level, where wooden piles are ordinarily cut off. v

In the drawings illustrating the principle of this invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that principle, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal vertical section through the follower, which is shown mounted upon the pile; Fig. 2 illustrates the manner in which a concrete cap is formed upon a pile above water level, the follower being shown partly withdrawn; andFig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 andillustrates the method of-forming a concrete cap upon a pile under water.

The bodyportion of the follower a con-. sists of a pair of tubular members I), 0, one of which is arranged concentrically within the other, whereby the body portion-is made hollow and is formed with a central bore (1. Suitably joined to the body portion at its upper end is the follower head 6; and the lower end of the follower is provided with the base member f, which is shaped to receive the upper end'of the pile g which fits snugly therein.- Of course, the number of parts of which the follower consists is immaterial, as are also the particular substance of which these parts are made and the man nor in which they are joined or held together. Any mechanic may by merely exer-- cising the skill of his calling select the proper material from which to build up the parts and may without invention devise a suitable method of assembling and fastening them together. In the embodiment of my invention hereinbefore described the body portion is formed hollow in order to give lightness combined with strength. The follower-head is made sufliciently massive and strong to withstand the blows of the pile hammer.

' The operation of my apparatus is substantially as follows: The follower a is first placed upon the pile 9, after the latter has been driven in the'ordinary way to ground level; and then the pile and the follower are driven together, until the pile has reached the required depth -(Fig. 2). The pile hammer is then removed and the bore 03 of the follower is filled with cementitious material, such as soft concrete h. The follower is then gradually raised, concrete being continuously poured into the bore cl of the follower during the raising of the same. The

concrete flows from the lower end of the fol lower as the latter is raised and fills the space 2' formerly occupied by the follower. VVhere the cap is to be formed upon a pile under water (Fig. 3), the pile and the follower are driven below the river bed j, until the pile has reached the required depth, as

before.- The remainder of the operation is the same as. described in connection with forming the cap after the manner illustrated in Fig. 2.

' I claim:

A follower having a cap formed with an aperture and adapted to receive the blows of the pile-hammer; a base-end formed with an aperture and having a recess adapted to receive the top of the pile; a tubular conduit,

the ends of which are fitted in said apere tures; and a cylindrical body portion which connects the cap and the base-end and which is of substantially greater diameterthan the pile to be driven.

Signed at the borough of Manhattan, city,

county and State of New York, this tenth day of April, in the presence of the two undersigned witnesses.

, LEON PIERCE. Witnesses:

ALPHONSE J. JAnor, RUTH Momus. 

